“I wish we could afford a new car.” “I wish our budget wasn’t so tight.” “I wish we could move out of town.” “I wish I didn’t have so much to do.”

Maybe you’ve wished for one or more of those things. You’ve probably wished for completely different things as well. And wishing for a better life in some way isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But what if we spend all our time wishing instead of trusting in what God has for us.

When we rely on our wishes, we come up short. That new car is always out of reach. You get a raise at work, but the budget still isn’t big enough.  You move out of town but now complain you have to drive into town to get everything.  Too often our wishes are signs of our discontent. We don’t like where we’re at, and if we only had this one thing or were in that place, then everything would be ok.

On the flip side, there’s trust.  Trusting God means knowing that he’ll get you to where you need to go in a new or old car. Trusting God means that when you’re faithful with what God’s given you, your budget won’t come up short. Trusting God means being content where you are and looking out for the opportunities He’s giving you to minister to those around you.

Perhaps you’ll find that new car, or house in the country, or have a great Christmas bonus this year.  But when you trust in God, you can see those things as gifts and blessings from him to be enjoyed in His love instead of unattainable symbols of your discontentment.

Today, take the time to pray and give God your wishes and hopes and dreams. Trust Him with them, and then wait to see what He does. It might not be what you want or even expect, but He promises that it will be more than you could ask or imagine.